EP2171762B1 - Procédé pour produire une photopile solaire au silicium avec un émetteur gravé en retrait ainsi que photopile solaire correspondante - Google Patents

Procédé pour produire une photopile solaire au silicium avec un émetteur gravé en retrait ainsi que photopile solaire correspondante Download PDF

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EP2171762B1
EP2171762B1 EP08775314.1A EP08775314A EP2171762B1 EP 2171762 B1 EP2171762 B1 EP 2171762B1 EP 08775314 A EP08775314 A EP 08775314A EP 2171762 B1 EP2171762 B1 EP 2171762B1
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Prior art keywords
emitter
solar cell
etching
partial zones
etching barrier
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German (de)
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EP2171762A2 (fr
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Giso Hahn
Helge Haverkamp
Bernd Raabe
Amir Dastgheib-Shirazi
Felix Book
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Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
Universitaet Konstanz
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Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
Universitaet Konstanz
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Priority claimed from DE102007035068A external-priority patent/DE102007035068A1/de
Priority claimed from DE102007062750A external-priority patent/DE102007062750A1/de
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/1804—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
    • H01L31/068—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/547—Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for producing a silicon solar cell with a back-etched, preferably selective emitter as well as a corresponding solar cell.
  • emitters produced at a surface of a solar cell often exhibit, for production-related reasons, a high doping concentration directly at the surface. This high doping concentration can lead to recombination losses, especially with respect to charge carrier pairs generated close to the surface.
  • the solar cells currently manufactured industrially are produced based on silicon, especially crystalline silicon.
  • the vast majority of these solar cells are provided with a full-area homogeneous emitter layer at the front-side surface and/or at the rear-side surface of the solar cell substrate.
  • the metal contacts are produced by means of thick-film pastes in the screen-printing process in the case of many of the silicon solar cells industrially produced nowadays.
  • a metal-particle-containing paste is printed locally onto the front-side emitter and then fired into the emitter, in order to form a good electrical contact with the emitter layer.
  • the emitter layer at least in the zones contacted by the metal contacts, with a high doping concentration in the region of the emitter surface in order to obtain a good ohmic contact.
  • a characteristic parameter for assessing the quality of the emitter i.e. the doping concentration integrated over the cross-section of the emitter layer, is the so-called sheet resistance.
  • the greater the sheet resistance the smaller the doping concentration inside the emitter layer and the smaller, as a rule, the doping concentration at the surface of the emitter layer. It has been found that, with conventionally produced emitters, a maximum sheet resistance of emitters capable of being contacted with screen-printing metallisation techniques typically lies in the range from 50 - 60 ohms per square. Emitter layers with higher sheet resistances and thus fundamentally lower doping usually can no longer be contacted reliably by means of thick-film pastes.
  • An additional effect of a high surface doping concentration may be a so-called band gap narrowing, which can lead to a reduced open circuit voltage.
  • a selective emitter structure can be produced by two separate diffusion processes in two separate process steps using a local masking layer, for which dielectric layers are often used.
  • a selective emitter structure can be produced by local etching of an emitter layer previously produced homogeneously.
  • a problem of the present invention proposes a method for producing a silicon solar cell, especially with a selective emitter, wherein the aforementioned problems of the prior art, in particular, can be at least partially overcome.
  • a production method for a silicon solar cell may be desired, wherein an emitter with a low doping concentration at the surface can be obtained.
  • a production method for a silicon solar cell with a selective emitter may be desired that is compatible with other conventional, industrially established production steps, is cost-effective and permits the production of solar cells with a high efficiency.
  • a need for a corresponding solar cell may exist.
  • a method for producing a silicon solar cell with a selective emitter comprises the following steps: producing a two-dimensionally extending emitter at an emitter surface of a solar cell substrate; applying an etching barrier onto first partial zones of the emitter surface; etching the emitter surface in second partial zones of the emitter surface not covered by the etching barrier; removing the etching barrier; and producing metal contacts at the first partial zones.
  • the method steps are carried out in the order indicated.
  • the indicated method according to the invention can be regarded as being based on the idea that, in the first place, an emitter is produced on at least one surface of a solar cell substrate with a homogeneous doping concentration, which is high enough for it to be suitable, for example, for contacting in the screen-printing process.
  • First partial zones of the emitter surface are protected by an etching barrier, preferably directly after this production of the two-dimensionally extending emitter, i.e. preferably before the deposition of a dielectric layer, for example as an antireflection or passivation layer, and also preferably before the application of the metal contacts.
  • the unprotected zones of the emitter surface are then etched and the thickness of the emitter in these zones is thus reduced, so that an emitter with an increased sheet resistance arises in these second partial zones.
  • the etching barrier is then removed and the solar cell can be further processed in a conventional manner, i.e. a dielectric layer can for example be deposited at the front-side surface as an antireflection or passivation layer, and then metal contacts can then be applied over the latter, for example in the screen-printing process.
  • the presented method can bring a number of advantages.
  • a cost-effective method that can readily be implemented industrially can be made available for producing a full-area or partial-area back-etched, preferably selective emitter structure.
  • technologies can be used for the individual method steps that have already been used and tried and tested on an industrial scale.
  • an etching-resistant lacquer or resist can be applied by means of screen-printing as an etching barrier and the subsequent etching can be carried out with the aid of conventional wet-chemical etching processes.
  • the method advantageously dispenses with the use of cost-intensive vacuum technologies.
  • the method can in particular also be used in a way in which only a few, easily controllable method steps are added to a conventional processing sequence for the production of silicon solar cells, the method can in particular be easily integrated into existing production plants by the installation of one or more additional modules.
  • the method can be used for the production of any silicon solar cell.
  • solar cells can be produced based on mono-crystalline or multi-crystalline silicon wafers or alternatively also based on a crystalline or amorphous silicon thin layer.
  • a selective emitter is formed at a surface of the solar cell substrate referred to hereinafter as "emitter surface".
  • the "emitter surface” can be the front-side surface of the solar cell substrate pointing towards the sun in use.
  • an emitter can also be formed at a rear-side surface.
  • a selective emitter is understood here to mean a doped semiconductor layer of a conduction type (for example n-type) opposite to the conduction type of the basis substrate (for example p-type), wherein the doping concentration varies greatly locally over the emitter area.
  • the emitter can be strongly doped before the back-etching, i.e.
  • first partial zones of the emitter at which front metallisation is subsequently to be disposed can be strongly doped, with a high surface doping concentration of, for example, more than 5 x 10 19 cm -3 , which leads to a sheet resistance of, for example, less than 60 ohms per square, preferably less than 50 ohms per square, and more preferably less than 40 ohms per square in these emitter zones, whereas, in the variant of the selective emitter, other emitter zones lying in between can be doped more weakly, for example with a surface doping concentration of less than 1 x 10 19 cm -3 , which leads to a sheet resistance of, for example, more than 60 ohms per square, preferably more than 70 ohms per square, and more preferably more than 80 ohms per square.
  • the strongly doped zones can subsequently be contacted electrically very well with metal contacts, whereas the weakly doped zones can exhibit a higher IQE and lower emitter saturation
  • a two-dimensionally extending emitter is produced at the emitter surface of a solar cell substrate.
  • Any methods can be used for this purpose.
  • the two-dimensionally extending emitter can, as described below in greater detail, be diffused into the surface of the solar cell substrate by means of a POCl 3 gas-phase diffusion by diffusing phosphorus from a hot gas phase.
  • Any other technologies can however also be used, such as for example diffusion from a, for example, printed solid doping source, deposition of an additional separate emitter layer, spray-on or spin-on of phosphorus-containing substances, implantation of doping agents into the surface of the solar cell substrate, etc.
  • the parameters for producing the two-dimensionally extending emitter are selected in such a way that an emitter sheet resistance of less than 60 ohms per square is preferably established, preferably less than 50 ohms per square and more preferably less than 40 ohms per square.
  • An etching barrier is then applied onto first partial zones of the front-side surface of the solar cell substrate.
  • the most varied technologies can be used for this purpose. Use is preferably made of technologies which are easy to implement industrially, such as for example the printing of a thick-film paste by means of screen-printing, the local spraying-on of a curable solution by means of an inkjet process, aerosol printing, vapour deposition through a mask, etc.
  • etching barrier a material is selected which is such that it is not attacked during the subsequent etching step by the etching medium used, so that the etching barrier can protect the underlying first partial zones of the emitter surface against the etching medium.
  • etching medium various etching fluids can be used which can attack and dissolve the material of the solar cell substrate at its front side: Since this material is as a rule silicon or, e.g. after an additional optional oxidation step, silicon oxide, consideration is given for example to gases or solutions which contain for example hydrofluoric acid (HF) and/or nitric acid (HNO 3 ).
  • HF hydrofluoric acid
  • HNO 3 nitric acid
  • the emitter surface is preferably etched down in the second partial zones to an extent such that, in the remaining emitter layer, a desired high sheet resistance of, for example, more than 60 ohms per square, preferably more than 70 ohms per square and more preferably more than 80 ohms per square is established with a surface concentration of the doping agent, such as for example phosphorus, that is reduced by wet-chemical etching.
  • the sheet resistance of the remaining emitter layer can be checked during the etching process, in that the thickness of the layer already etched down, for example, is observed optically, or the etching process can be interrupted briefly in order to measure the layer resistance, for example by means of a conventional 4-point measurement. In this way, the etching process can be terminated when a predetermined limiting value for the sheet resistance is reached. Alternatively, the duration of the etching process up to reaching a specific desired sheet resistance can be ascertained by preliminary tests.
  • the etching barrier is again removed from the substrate surface. This preferably takes place chemically, for example with the aid of a solution which attacks and dissolves the etching barrier.
  • a further etching process can follow, in which a phosphorus glass produced in a POCl 3 diffusion, for example, can be etched away, wherein in the same step the second partial zones already etched in the preceding etching step can be further etched or an oxide optionally produced there can be etched away.
  • the sheet resistance ultimately established in the second partial zones can thus be influenced by the first etching process described above as well as by this optional second etching process.
  • etching steps can follow, such as for example the preparing of a dielectric layer as an anti-reflection and/or passivation layer on the emitter surface of the solar cell substrate.
  • Metal contacts are then produced at the first partial zones, which have been protected temporarily by the etching barrier against etching of the emitter layer in the preceding course of the process. Due to the high surface doping concentration, i.e. the low sheet resistance, in these first partial zones, a good ohmic contact can be achieved between the metal contacts and the silicon solar cell substrate.
  • the metal contacts can be produced using any technologies. Technologies which can easily be implemented industrially, such as for example the screen-printing of a metal-particle-containing thick-film paste, are however preferred.
  • the method comprises the additional step of producing a porous silicon layer.
  • This method step is carried out after the deposition of the etching barrier at the second partial zones of the emitter surface of the solar cell substrate not covered by the etching barrier.
  • This method step can preferably be carried out simultaneously with the method step of etching the emitter surface in the second partial zones not covered by the etching barrier.
  • an etching method is selected which leads to the formation of an at least partially porous silicon layer.
  • the porous silicon layer can be produced with good spatial homogeneity and the thickness of the resultant silicon layer can be influenced by a suitable selection of the process parameters.
  • the previously produced porous silicon layer is then oxidised.
  • it can be subjected for example to an oxidising medium, such as for example an acid or an ozone-containing, wet-chemical bath or another ozone-containing or ozone-producing source.
  • an oxidising medium such as for example an acid or an ozone-containing, wet-chemical bath or another ozone-containing or ozone-producing source.
  • the etching barrier should in this case also be resistant to this oxidising medium.
  • the process parameters during the oxidising of the porous silicon layer for example process duration, process temperature, oxidation capacity of the medium used, etc., can be selected such that the whole porous layer is oxidised.
  • the porous silicon layer previously oxidised as the case may be, can then be etched in a further method step and thus be removed. Due to the fact that the surface of the emitter layer is not simply etched area-wide in a single etching step, but that a porous layer is first produced which is subsequently oxidised and then etched away, a more homogeneous etching results can be achieved.
  • the porous silicon layer can also be alkaline etched without having been oxidised beforehand.
  • the etching of the oxidised porous silicon layer is carried out after the removal of the etching barrier.
  • etching can first be carried out in the second partial zones unprotected by the etching barrier and a porous silicon layer can be produced and then oxidised; the etching barrier can subsequently be removed; the porous silicon layer can then be removed in a further etching process, whereby, with a suitable selection of the etching medium, the first partial zones previously protected by the etching barrier cannot or can scarcely be attacked in this process.
  • a phosphorus glass produced during the production of the two-dimensionally extending emitter can also be jointly removed in this additional etching step.
  • the thickness of the produced porous silicon layer can be detected optically.
  • the porous silicon layer has a refractive index that is different from solid silicon, so that interference effects can occur with thin porous silicon layers.
  • the latter can, similar to an antireflection layer, appear in different colours.
  • the thickness of the produced porous silicon layer can thus already be estimated during the etching process on the basis of the colour of the porous silicon layer. Since the porous silicon layer is preferably completely removed in a following etching step, as a result of which the thickness of the emitter layer remaining beneath in the solar cell substrate is reduced, it is thus possible indirectly to deduce optically how high the sheet resistance of the remaining emitter layer will be after removal of the porous silicon layer. Alternatively, the thickness of the produced porous silicon layer could also be determined ellipsometrically.
  • the step of etching the emitter surface, the production of the porous silicon layer and/or the oxidation of the porous silicon layer is carried out in a liquid solution.
  • Acid solutions for example, can be used.
  • use can be made of solutions of acids which attack silicon or silicon oxide, such as for example HF, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 or combinations thereof.
  • the use of liquid etching solutions enables, amongst other things, very homogeneous etching with a high etching capacity and/or etching rate.
  • the production of the two-dimensionally extending emitter is carried out by means of a POCl 3 gas-phase diffusion or by spray-on or spin-on and the phosphorus glass thereby arising is not removed before the application of the etching barrier.
  • the POCl 3 gas-phase diffusion can readily be implemented industrially and finds widespread use.
  • the phosphorus glass arising in the diffusion usually has to be removed again from the emitter surface after the diffusion, before, for example, further antireflection or passivation layers are deposited.
  • this etching away of the phosphorus glass does not however have to take place directly after the diffusion, when it would represent an additional method step, but can be carried out simultaneously with one of the subsequent etching steps, for example the etching step for removing the porous silicon layer after the removal of the etching barrier. In this way, the processing outlay and the associated costs can be reduced.
  • the etching barrier is applied with the aid of a paste containing plastic.
  • a paste containing plastic can be highly viscous (thick-flowing), so that it can be printed locally, for example by means of conventional screen-printing technology, onto the first partial zones of the emitter surface to be protected.
  • the paste can be low-viscous (fluid), so that it can be sprayed on locally for example in the inkjet process.
  • the initially viscous paste can then be hardened, for example by heat treatment or by irradiation with UV light, and thus acquire a property as a reliable etching barrier.
  • the etching barrier and/or the metal contacts can be applied by means of screen-printing.
  • the screen-printing technology is well tried and tested industrially and is associated with many advantages.
  • screen-printers and the relevant know-how are already available with many conventional production plants, so that the plants can easily be modified for the implementation of the method presented.
  • a silicon solar cell with a selective emitter comprises: a solar cell substrate with a two-dimensionally extending emitter at a front-side and/or rear-side surface thereof serving as an emitter surface, a dielectric layer and emitter metal contacts at the emitter surface.
  • the two-dimensionally extending emitter has a higher surface doping concentration in first partial zones than in adjacent second partial zones. In other words, it is a selective emitter.
  • the solar cell substrate has a greater thickness in the first partial zones than in the second partial zones. In other words, there is a small step between the first and the second partial zones, such as can arise for example with the back-etching of the emitter during a production process, as has been described above.
  • the dielectric layer for example made of silicon nitride or silicon oxide, which can serve for example as an antireflection and/or passivation layer, essentially covers the whole emitter surface and is arranged locally between the emitter metal contacts and the solar cell substrate.
  • the dielectric layer separates the emitter metal contacts at least partially from the surface of the solar cell substrate, whereby the metal contacts can however at least locally penetrate the dielectric layer in order to enable an electrical contact between the metal contacts and the solar cell substrate.
  • the presented silicon solar cell can advantageously be produced, amongst other things, with the aid of the method described above. On account of the selective emitter, it exhibits a high degree of efficiency. It is also advantageous that the dielectric layer of the solar cell, which is unavoidable for good antireflection and passivation properties, is located beneath the emitter metal contacts, so that the metal contacts lie free and can be contacted or soldered without prior removal of a dielectric layer covering them.
  • the method enables the cost-effective application of a back-etched and/or selective emitter structure with an increase in the efficiency of the produced solar cells over four percent relative, brought about by increasing the short-circuit current and/or open circuit voltage and/or filling factor of the solar cell.
  • a solar cell with a selective emitter structure can offer further advantages.
  • the alloying of the metal contacts can represent a critical process step.
  • the process window for establishing the required temperatures can be relatively small, because the sheet resistances of the emitter of 50 to 60 ohms per square are already at the bounds of what is possible.
  • higher doping can be selected beneath the metal contacts, i.e. in the first partial zones, so that the window of possible process parameters is larger.
  • thick-film pastes can be optimised for other parameters, such as for example a higher finger conductivity and an optimised flow behaviour, which enables the screen-printing of finer fingers.
  • the selective emitter structure can directly permit the use of cost-effective screen-printing pastes, without the efficiency of the solar cells being influenced unfavourably.
  • a selective emitter enables the appropriate use of methods for producing finer metal contacts.
  • Typical conventional finger widths lie in the range between 100 and 140 ⁇ m. If the finger width is reduced below 80 ⁇ m, the solar cell delivers more current on account of the smaller shadow due to the metallisation.
  • the series resistance may however increase in the case of conventional solar cells, because the contact area between the metallisation and the substrate surface is also reduced.
  • the specific contact resistance can be reduced on account of the higher doping beneath the fingers, so that the total series resistance does not increase.
  • This very strongly doped superficial layer can be removed by back-etching in the second partial zones of the emitter surface, which can have a favourable effect on the IQE in the short-wave spectral region. It has been found that the doping profile with the back-etched emitters runs very much flatter than in the case of emitters directly after the diffusion, which overall exhibit the same sheet resistance. For example, it has been found that a back-etched emitter with a sheet resistance of 60 ohms per square can, for example, have similarly good properties with respect to the IQE and/or emitter saturation current density J 0e as a conventionally produced emitter with a sheet resistance of 100 ohms per square.
  • Fig. 1 shows a solar cell 1 with a p-conducting base 3 and an n-conducting two-dimensionally extending selective emitter 5.
  • Emitter 5 has first partial zones 7 and, in between, second partial zones 9, the thickness of second partial zones 9 being smaller than that of first partial zones 7 and the layer resistance of second partial zones 9 being greater than that of first partial zones 7.
  • a small step 11 extends between first partial zones 7 and second partial zones 9.
  • a dielectric layer 15 made of silicon nitride, which at the same time serves as an antireflection layer and as a surface passivation.
  • Finger-shaped metal contacts 17 are arranged over dielectric layer 15 in the region of first thicker partial zones 7 of selective emitter 5, dielectric layer 15 being located between metal contacts 17 and the surface of solar cell substrate 13, but being partially penetrated by so-called “spikes", which run from metal contacts 17 to the surface of emitter 5 in order to produce an ohmic contact with this surface.
  • a two-dimensionally extending aluminium back contact 19 is located at the rear side of the solar cell.
  • a sequence of production steps for the production of a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention is described with the aid of fig. 2 .
  • the starting point is a silicon wafer 21. This can have been previously surface-textured and cleaned (step (a)).
  • a two-dimensionally extending emitter layer 5 is diffused, with the aid of a POCl 3 gas-phase diffusion at high temperatures of approx. 800 to 1000°C, into the surface of p-conducting wafer 21, which for the most part subsequently provides base 3. With this diffusion process, a phosphorus glass layer 23 is formed at the surface of emitter layer 5 thus produced (step (b)).
  • edge insulation then takes place, in which the electrical connection between emitter 5 produced on the front side and the emitter region produced on the rear side is separated.
  • wafer 21 provided with the emitter can for example be subjected to an etching plasma at its edge, so that the outermost layer of the wafer containing emitter 5 is etched away.
  • An etching barrier 25 is then printed onto phosphorus glass layer 23 in the form of elongated fingers (normal to the plane of the drawing in the figure) by means of screen-printing.
  • use can for example be made of a screen-printing paste from the firm Peters Lackwerke (Germany) with the name SD2052A1, which can form a layer made of an organic plastic (step (c)).
  • etching barrier 25 After the material of etching barrier 25 has been hardened thermally or by irradiation with UV light, the front-side surface of the solar cell substrate is subjected to an HF-HNO 3 -H 2 O solution.
  • the etching solution first etches away phosphorus glass layer 23 in the zones not protected by etching barrier 25 and then attacks emitter 5 lying beneath, whereby it forms a layer 27 of porous silicon.
  • porous silicon layer 27 extends into emitter layer 5 (step (d)).
  • the produced porous silicon layer is then oxidised in an acid which contains nitric acid (HNO 3 ) or sulphuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ).
  • etching barrier 25 After etching barrier 25 has been removed, for example by dissolution ("stripping") in sulphuric acid, phosphorus glass layer 23 remaining beneath and, at the same time, also the produced oxidised porous silicon in second partial zones 9 are etched away in a hydrofluoric acid solution (HF + H 2 O) (step (e)).
  • a hydrofluoric acid solution HF + H 2 O
  • a dielectric layer 15 serving as an antireflection layer and passivation layer is then deposited over the whole front-side surface, for example in the PECVD process (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition) (step (f)).
  • Thick-film metal contacts 17 are then printed, by means of screen-printing using a silver-particle-containing thick-film paste, onto strongly doped first partial zones 7 over dielectric layer 15.
  • a two-dimensionally extending back contact 29 is printed onto the rear side of the solar cell substrate using an aluminium-particle-containing thick-film paste.
  • the printed-on contacts are fired in, whereby front-side metal contacts 17 partially "eat through” dielectric layer 15 and thus produce contact with emitter 5 lying beneath (step (g)).

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Claims (13)

  1. Procédé de production d'une cellule solaire au silicium (1) avec un émetteur sélectif selon la revendication 12, le procédé comprenant dans l'ordre suivant :
    - la production d'un émetteur (5) s'étendant dans deux dimensions au niveau d'une surface d'émetteur d'un substrat (13) de cellule solaire;
    - l'application d'une barrière de gravure (25) sur de premières zones partielles (8) de la surface d'émetteur ;
    - la gravure de la surface d'émetteur dans de secondes zones partielles (9) de la surface d'émetteur non couvertes par la barrière de gravure (25) ;
    - l'enlèvement de la barrière de gravure (25) ; et
    - la production des contacts métalliques (17) au niveau des premières zones partielles (7).
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre après le dépôt de la barrière de gravure :
    - la production d'une couche de silicium poreux (27) au niveau des secondes zones partielles (9) de la surface d'émetteur non couverte par la barrière de gravure.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 2, comprenant en outre :
    - l'oxydation de la couche de silicium poreux (27).
  4. Procédé selon la revendication 2 or 3, comprenant en outre la gravure de la couche de silicium poreux (27).
  5. Procédé selon la revendication 4, dans lequel la gravure de la couche de silicium poreux (27) oxydée est réalisée après avoir enlevé la barrière de gravure (25).
  6. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 2 à 5, dans lequel l'épaisseur de la couche de silicium poreux (27) produite est détectée de manière optique.
  7. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 6, dans lequel au moins une des étapes consistant à graver la surface d'émetteur, à produire la couche de silicium poreux (27) et à oxyder la couche de silicium poreux est réalisée avec une solution liquide.
  8. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 7, dans lequel la production de l'émetteur s'étendant dans deux dimensions est réalisée au moyen d'une diffusion de POCl3 en phase gazeuse et dans lequel le verre de phosphore (23) généré n'est pas enlevé avant l'application de la barrière de gravure.
  9. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 8, dans lequel la barrière de gravure est appliquée à l'aide d'une pâte contenant du plastique.
  10. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 9, dans lequel la barrière de gravure est appliquée au moyen d'une sérigraphie.
  11. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 10, dans lequel les contacts métalliques sont appliqués au moyen d'une sérigraphie.
  12. Cellule solaire au silicium (1) avec un émetteur sélectif (5), la cellule solaire au silicium comprenant :
    - un substrat (13) de cellule solaire avec un émetteur s'étendant dans deux dimensions (5) au niveau d'une surface d'émetteur de celui-ci ;
    - une couche diélectrique (15) ;
    - des contacts d'émetteur métalliques (17) au niveau de la surface d'émetteur ;
    dans laquelle l'émetteur s'étendant dans deux dimensions (5) présente une concentration de dopage en surface plus élevée dans des premières zones partielles (7) que dans des secondes zones partielles adjacentes (9) ;
    dans laquelle le substrat de cellule solaire (21) présente une épaisseur supérieure dans les premières zones partielles (7) que dans les secondes zones partielles (9) ; et
    dans laquelle la couche diélectrique (15) couvre essentiellement toute la surface d'émetteur et est agencée localement entre les contacts d'émetteur métalliques (17) et le substrat de cellule solaire (21).
  13. Cellule solaire au silicium selon la revendication 12, dans laquelle les contacts métalliques (17) pénètrent au moins localement la couche diélectrique (15).
EP08775314.1A 2007-07-26 2008-07-23 Procédé pour produire une photopile solaire au silicium avec un émetteur gravé en retrait ainsi que photopile solaire correspondante Not-in-force EP2171762B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102007035068A DE102007035068A1 (de) 2007-07-26 2007-07-26 Verfahren zum Fertigen einer Silizium-Solarzelle mit einem selektiven Emitter sowie entsprechende Solarzelle
DE102007062750A DE102007062750A1 (de) 2007-12-27 2007-12-27 Verfahren zum Fertigen einer Silizium-Solarzelle mit einem rückgeätzten Emitter sowie entsprechende Solarzelle
PCT/EP2008/059647 WO2009013307A2 (fr) 2007-07-26 2008-07-23 Procédé pour produire une photopile solaire au silicium avec un émetteur gravé en retrait ainsi que photopile solaire correspondante

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EP2171762A2 EP2171762A2 (fr) 2010-04-07
EP2171762B1 true EP2171762B1 (fr) 2014-06-25

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JP2010534927A (ja) 2010-11-11
US8586396B2 (en) 2013-11-19
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TW200926433A (en) 2009-06-16
JP2013080954A (ja) 2013-05-02
US20100218826A1 (en) 2010-09-02
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